Managing endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-related complications in patients referred to the surgical emergency unit.

Background: The goal of this study was to present our experience in the management of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-related complications in patients referred to our surgical emergency unit by various endoscopy centers.

Methods: A retrospective investigation was conducted on the records of the 54 patients who were referred to our surgical emergency unit between October 2005 and January 2014 due to endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography-related complications.

Results: There were 25 and 29 female and male patients, respectively.

The evaluation of the risk factors for capsular complications in phacoemulsification.

Purpose: To determine and quantify the risk factors for disruption of lens capsule integrity during phacoemulsification.

Methods: The medical records of the patients who had undergone phacoemulsification cataract surgery and had a complication associated with lens capsule were reviewed. Consecutive cases were also reviewed in reverse chronological order as a control group.

Accessory Lesser Metatarsal Sesamoids in All of the Metatarsophalangeal Joints.

Lesser metatarsal sesamoids are one of the most common accessory bones of the foot and are most commonly seen at the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint. They are rarely seen in other metatarsophalangeal joints. In the literature, there are reports of solitary accessory sesamoid bones seen at lesser metatarsophalangeal joints.

Levels of MicroRNA Heterogeneity in Cancer Biology.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression, involved in the silencing of messenger RNA (mRNA) translation. The importance of miRNA signatures in disease screening, prognosis, and progression of different tumor types and subtypes is increasing. miRNA expression levels change depending on numerous factors.

The enteric nervous system is a potential autoimmune target in multiple sclerosis.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) in young adults that has serious negative socioeconomic effects. In addition to symptoms caused by CNS pathology, the majority of MS patients frequently exhibit gastrointestinal dysfunction, which was previously either explained by the presence of spinal cord lesions or not directly linked to the autoimmune etiology of the disease. Here, we studied the enteric nervous system (ENS) in a B cell- and antibody-dependent mouse model of MS by immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy at different stages of the disease.

In vitro evaluation of a new iterative reconstruction algorithm for dose reduction in coronary artery calcium scoring.

Background: Coronary artery calcium (CAC) scoring is a widespread tool for cardiac risk assessment in asymptomatic patients and accompanying possible adverse effects, i.e. radiation exposure, should be as low as reasonably achievable.

The assessment of work productivity and activity impairment in Behçet's disease.

Background/aim: The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between the course of Behçet's disease (BD), disease-specific fears, and work productivity and activity impairment.

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 110 consecutive BD patients were included. The Work Productivity and Activity Impairment questionnaire was used.

Scalable stirred suspension culture for the generation of billions of human induced pluripotent stem cells using single-use bioreactors.

The production of human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) in quantities that are relevant for cell-based therapies and cell-loaded implants through standard adherent culture is hardly achievable and lacks process scalability. A promising approach to overcoming these hurdles is the culture of hiPSCs in suspension. In this study, stirred suspension culture vessels were investigated for their suitability in the expansion of two hiPSC lines inoculated as a single cell suspension, with a free scalability between volumes of 50 and 2400 ml.

Nimodipine fosters remyelination in a mouse model of multiple sclerosis and induces microglia-specific apoptosis.

Despite continuous interest in multiple sclerosis (MS) research, there is still a lack of neuroprotective strategies, because the main focus has remained on modulating the immune response. Here we performed in-depth analysis of neurodegeneration in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) and in in vitro studies regarding the effect of the well-established L-type calcium channel antagonist nimodipine. Nimodipine treatment attenuated clinical EAE and spinal cord degeneration and promoted remyelination.

Visualization of endothelial barrier damage prior to formation of atherosclerotic plaques.

En-face fat staining is frequently used to visualize atherosclerotic lesions. This method, however, is not suitable to visualize endothelial barrier damage prior to microscopically detectable morphological alterations of the arterial wall such as sub-endothelial lipid deposition. To enable the investigation of early endothelial barrier damage and in particular the initial steps of atherosclerosis, a new method has to fulfill three requirements: (i) easy and fast to perform, (ii) low cost of applicability without requirement for highly sophisticated technical equipment, and (iii) reliable reproducibility of valid results.

Development of a traceable molecular hygiene control method (TMHCM) for human DNA content in foods.

The aim of this study was to develop a molecular technique to determine the level of human originated DNA contamination in unhygienic food products. In the study, four model foods were prepared under both hygienic (H) and non-hygienic (NH) conditions and the human originated microbial loads of these products were determined. DNA was extracted from the model foods and human buccal samples by GIDAGEN Multi-fast DNA isolation kit.

An evaluation of the efficacy of a topical gel with Triester Glycerol Oxide (TGO) in the treatment of minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis in a Turkish cohort: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.

Background: Triester glycerol oxide gel (Protefix® Queisser Pharma, Germany) is a new topical agent that has the property of adherence to the oral mucosa by forming a lipid film which protects against mechanical trauma and may help to reduce oral tissue moisture loss and inflammation. The aim of this clinical trial was to determine the efficacy of a topical TGO gel and to also compare it with triamcinolone acetonide pomade in the treatment of minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis.

Material And Methods: This study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial and 180 patients with the complaint of minor aphthous ulcers were enrolled in this study.

LRP5-linked osteoporosis-pseudoglioma syndrome mimicking isolated microphthalmia.

Microphthalmia is defined as the measurement of the total axial length of the eyeball to be below average of the two standard deviation according to the age. While several genes have been identified so far related to microphthalmia, the genetic etiology of the disease has not been fully understood because of genetic heterogeneity observed in this disease. After exclusion of the genes that had been known to be the cause of microphthalmia, we performed homozygosity mapping and exome sequencing to clarify the genetic etiology of the bilateral microphthalmia in this family.

Mentorship in anesthesia: a survey of perspectives among Canadian anesthesia residents.

Purpose: Mentorship is important for professional and academic growth; however, the role of mentorship in anesthesia is still being defined. We surveyed Canadian anesthesia residents to explore their perceptions of mentorship relationships.

Methods: We administered a 20-item cross-sectional survey to program directors and anesthesia residents in all Canadian departments of anesthesia.

Postoperative Wound Myiasis Caused by Sarcophaga carnaria.

Myiasis is a parasitic infection caused by dipteran larvae settling in living tissue and organs. Infestation is generally found in tropical and rural areas, where interaction with animals is common. It is diagnosed based on the evidence of the existence of dipteran larvae in tissues and organs.

Abrogation of Gap Junctional Communication in ES Cells Results in a Disruption of Primitive Endoderm Formation in Embryoid Bodies.

Gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) has been suggested to be involved in early embryonic development but the actual functional role remained elusive. Connexin (Cx) 43 and Cx45 are co-expressed in embryonic stem (ES) cells, form gap junctions and are considered to exhibit adhesive function and/or to contribute to the establishment of defined communication compartments. Here, we describe the generation of Cx43/Cx45-double deficient mouse ES cells to achieve almost complete breakdown of GJIC.

Extra- and Intraluminal Elastase Induce Morphologically Distinct Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in Mice and Thus Represent Specific Subtypes of Human Disease.

Topical application of elastase to induce arterial aneurysm formation is an emerging murine model of vascular disease. In the context of aortic abdominal aneurysm (AAA), angiotensin II infusion and porcine pancreatic elastase perfusion models are commonly used today. This study, therefore, compares matrix remodeling, inflammation, and angiogenesis as distinct features of aneurysms in two models treated with intra-/extraluminal elastase.

Heterogeneous histomorphology, yet homogeneous vascular smooth muscle cell dedifferentiation, characterize human aneurysm disease.

Objective: Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a frequent, potentially life-threatening, disease that can only be treated by surgical means such as open surgery or endovascular repair. No alternative treatment is currently available, and despite expanding knowledge about the pathomechanism, clinical trials on medical aneurysm abrogation have led to inconclusive results. The heterogeneity of human AAA based on histologic examination is thereby generally neglected.

The role of CEA-related cell adhesion molecule-1 (CEACAM1) in vascular homeostasis.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)-related cell adhesion molecules belong to the immunoglobulin superfamily, are expressed in a broad spectrum of tissues and cell types and exert context-dependent activating as well as inhibitory effects. Among these molecules, the CEA-related cell adhesion molecule-1 (CEACAM1) is a transmembrane molecule with an extracellular, a transmembrane and a cytoplasmic domain. The latter contains immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs and functions as a signaling molecule.

The vascular adventitia: An endogenous, omnipresent source of stem cells in the body.

Until a decade ago it was believed that the wall of adult blood vessels exclusively contains terminally differentiated cell types. A paradigm shift was unavoidable since studies from different groups convincingly showed the presence of vascular wall-resident stem and progenitor cells (VW-SCs) which were identified to particularly reside in the sub-endothelial space and the so-called adventitial "vasculogenic zone". Data published during the last decade uncloaked the fact that VW-SCs have the capacity to differentiate into both vascular and non-vascular cell types.

CEACAM1 mediates B cell aggregation in central nervous system autoimmunity.

B cell aggregates in the central nervous system (CNS) have been associated with rapid disease progression in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Here we demonstrate a key role of carcinoembryogenic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule1 (CEACAM1) in B cell aggregate formation in MS patients and a B cell-dependent mouse model of MS. CEACAM1 expression was increased on peripheral blood B cells and CEACAM1(+) B cells were present in brain infiltrates of MS patients.

CFH Y402H and VEGF Polymorphisms and Anti-VEGF Treatment Response in Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in complement factor H (CFH) Y402H and VEGF rs2146323 and rs699947 in exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and their relationship with intravitreal anti-VEGF treatment response.

Methods: A total of 109 exudative AMD patients and 70 controls were included. Patients were classified as 'good responders' and 'nonresponders' based on the changes in best corrected visual acuity, central foveal thickness, lesion size, and the persistence of retinal hemorrhage after three dosages of anti-VEGF.

Increased arterial stiffness parameters in panic disorder patients in long term treatment period.

Background: The relationship between mental stress and cardiovascular disease has been shown in several studies. Panic disorder (PD) is also associated with cardiovascular disease due to increased risk of myocardial infarction. The aim of this study is to evaluate the association between arterial stiffness parameters and depression/anxiety scores in patients with PD.